Men's Basketball Erases 15-Point Halftime Deficit to Upset No. 14 Philadelphia, 72-69
Links: Box Score
WALTHAM, Mass. – For the second time in as many nights, the Merrimack College men's basketball team orchestrated a second-half comeback, this time roaring back from a 15-point deficit to upset No. 14 Philadelphia University at the Bentley Tip-Off Classic, improving to 2-0 on the season.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 72 | Philadelphia 69
Records: Merrimack (2-0) | Philadelphia (0-2)
Location: Dana Center | Waltham, Mass.
How It Happened
Unlike in the season opener against Holy Family University, which saw the Warriors erase a nine-point halftime deficit by beginning the second half on a 26-3 run, it took Merrimack longer to cut into the Rams advantage.
Trailing 69-66 with only 2:18 remaining in the game, the Warriors would end the contest on a 6-0 run to upset the reigning CACC champions. Junior James Kennedy (Dorchester, Mass.) hit a layup with 82 seconds left in the game to make in 69-68. That score would hold until there was only 22 seconds remaining. Phildelphia's TJ Huggins turned the basketball over, and Kennedy connected on the ensuing layup to give Merrimack its first lead since scoring the first two points of the game.
Kennedy's fourth field goal of the game would turn into the game winner. Junior guard Troy Hammel (Valencia, Calif.) knocked down a couple of clutch free throws to increase the Warriors lead to three points. Huggins missed an attempt at a game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer, securing the victory for the Navy and Gold.
Prior to the 6-0 run to the close the game, the Warriors chipped into what was a 14-point deficit with less than 15 minutes remaining. With the clock reading 14:36, juniors Gelvis Solano (New York, N.Y.) and Anthony Barry (Uxbridge, Mass.) began a stretch where they would score the next 16 Warriors' points to cut what was a 14-point deficit to an eight-point game, 58-50, with 10:18 to go. Solano scored 10 points over that four-minute stretch, connecting on two 3-pointers.
The first half saw the Warriors victimized by a 13-1 run by the Rams, allowing Philadelphia to take a 15-4 lead less than six minutes into the contest. Philadelphia, coached by the winningest men's basketball coach in NCAA history and Hall of Famer Herb Magee, tallied 38 first-half points, leading by as many as 16 over the first 20 minutes.
Philly shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, connecting on 14 of 28 field-goal attempts. Merrimack saw its offense get off to a sluggish start for the second straight game, only shooting 27 percent from the field.
Solano filled up the box score once again, finishing with a game-high 24 points, six rebounds, five blocks and three steals. Barry totaled the second-most points of any player, finishing with 20 on night after hitting nine of his 17 field-goal attempts
Inside The Numbers
- Solano is averaging 23 points per game to begin his junior campaign. The five blocks he had tonight sets a new career high
- Bert Hammel did not go to his bench often as Barry, Troy Hammel, Solano and junior JT Strickland (Laurel, Md.) each notched at least 37 minutes. Strickland picked up a game-high 10 assists, the first time this season the point guard has totaled double-digit helpers
- Second-half onslaught: the Navy and Gold shot 55.6 percent in the second stanza, going 20-for-36 from the field. Merrimack dished out 15 assists over the final 20 minutes, eight of them courtesy of Strickland
- The Merrimack defense forced the Rams, a NCAA Tournament team from last year, into 16 turnovers while the Warriors only gave the ball up nine times on the night
- Kennedy hit a free throw to give Merrimack a 3-2 lead less than three minutes into the game. Philly took a 4-3 advantage at the 17:16 mark of the first half and did not relinquish the lead until the waning seconds of the game. The Navy and Gold spanned 36:54 of gametime between leads, but still prevailed with the win
- Milestone watch: with the victory, Bert Hammel picked up his 497th victory at the helm of Merrimack
Up Next
Merrimack takes on Stonehill College in the Warriors' home opener, as well as the beginning of Northeast-10 action, on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. Single-game tickets will be available for purchase online at this link, or by calling the Merrimack Athletics Box Office at 978-837-5324. Adult tickets cost $5, while youth/senior tickets cost $3. All tickets are general admission seating.
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